They heard what Ethan said—the challenge he threw to test the strength of LionArk's members.

But none of them dared to move, not after witnessing Ethan's power during his fight with Ashley.

He had managed to land hits and even wound her, though everyone knew Ashley's level was far higher than Ethan's.

If Ethan could push Ashley into a corner, what chance did they have? They would be crushed easily.

No one answered Ethan's challenge. They only exchanged nervous looks, but no one was brave enough to raise their hand against him.

"Don't make them uncomfortable with your challenge, Ethan," said Ashley, walking up to him.

Ethan smiled, saying that he was only joking. Everyone around the training ground sighed in relief when they realized it was just a joke.

The glowing walls of the training arena faded, signaling the end of the guild's training session. Ashley turned around and saw her members still frozen outside the arena, though they looked relieved now.

"You may all go," she said, and everyone obeyed.

One by one, they left the area, leaving only Ashley and Ethan standing in the guild's back field.

"Your strength has grown," Ashley said. "But when you change or add new skills, their level resets to zero."

Ethan nodded. He was aware of that consequence. Still, if his talent buff remained active, his strength would continue to grow, even if not as much.

"Today must've been exhausting for you," Ashley said. "Get some rest."

He nodded again. Ethan had to admit that today had drained him, and a good rest would help him recover.

He said goodbye to Ashley, planning to return to his inn and sleep. Ashley didn't stop him—after all, it was better for Ethan to rest in his own room than stay in hers.

She didn't want to raise suspicion among guild members, especially those who didn't like Ethan.

That night, the training with Ashley ended. Ethan went back to his room to rest.

As for his skill levels, he would deal with that later. For now, he was satisfied with his progress.

***

The next day.

City of Mavelard.

Ethan walked through the city center alone. His goal wasn't the item shop, but the Enhance Crystal Store. There, he needed to buy Skill Gems to level up his new skills.

He had six new skills that needed upgrading, at least to level ten. His Talent Quest still hadn't updated—it showed no new missions, not even after the last event ended.

The last Talent Quest he completed was collecting one hundred Rare weapons to obtain the Bloodblade Ashura.

That was why Ethan came to the Enhance Crystal Store—to buy Skill Gems that could increase his skill levels.

He stopped when he reached the store, which was run by an NPC, not a guild. From the outside, the shop looked crowded, with many players shopping for their own needs.

When Ethan entered, everyone's attention turned toward him. He didn't mind and didn't cut the line. He preferred to wait patiently until the other customers were done before placing his order.

While waiting, he wandered around, looking at the crystals displayed behind the glass cases.

There were many kinds—mostly enhancement and crafting crystals.

He glanced at the other players now and then. They seemed to be ordering different kinds of items, though Ethan couldn't tell exactly what was most popular.

After waiting for about half an hour, it was finally his turn. He walked up to the counter, where a friendly-looking man greeted him with a polite smile.

"Welcome. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to buy Skill Gems."

"Of course. How many do you need?" asked the man.

To level up a skill below level ten, Ethan knew it took one hundred Skill Gems per level.

"I'll buy one thousand," Ethan said.

"We have bundles of one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand," replied the man. "For one thousand Skill Gems, the total is ten thousand gold."

"I'll take six bundles of one thousand," Ethan said.

The man nodded and prepared the order. Moments later, a notification appeared.

[Transaction Successful]

[Item: 6x Bundle of 1000 Skill Gems]

[Cost: 60,000 Gold]

Ethan received the bundles, paying sixty thousand gold in total. Everything went smoothly.

With six thousand Skill Gems in hand, Ethan could now level up all six of his new skills from level one to level ten—bringing them in line with his older ones.

At last, everything would be balanced.

He pressed [Use] in the system menu, activating the gems. The counter updated, showing six thousand Skill Gems ready to use.

Just as Ethan was about to allocate them, a sudden scream for help came from the city center.

He turned toward the sound, his attention drawn.

He walked outside and saw a man staggering into the square, shouting desperately for help.

"What happened?" Ethan muttered.

"Someone, please—help me! Save my girlfriend!" the man cried. "She's trapped inside the Tower!"

The commotion drew a crowd, though no one stepped forward to help. Everyone knew how dangerous the Tower was.

Attempting a raid without full preparation—or a full party—was suicide.

Some players whispered among themselves, mocking the man.

"Definitely a scam."

"I've seen plenty like that," another said. "The ones who try to help never come back."

Ethan overheard them and asked calmly, "Then where did those stories come from?"

The two players turned to him, their eyes widening when they saw his username—and the red PK status beside it.

"A Red Notice player?" one of them muttered. "If you want to help him, go ahead. I'm not taking that risk."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. He'd never heard of scams like that before, but the truth behind the rumors was still uncertain.

The Tower is a dangerous place full of mysteries. If I rush in carelessly, I might end up trapped myself.

In the end, he ignored the man's pleas and walked back toward his inn. He needed to raise his skill levels and grow stronger first.

Until then, he wasn't going to take any unnecessary risks.

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